Wednesday 18 March 2015

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation and powder review & swatches


I was made to order this L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation by other beauty bloggers who vouchsafed this did wonders to their oily skins, but I never believed I would love it as much as I do. It took the ebayer I bought it from a while to ship and when it arrived it turned out that the same foundation was released also in Poland, in a slightly different packaging, which is great cause if I need a darker shade for the summer, it'll be waiting for me just round the corner.


So, what is so amazing about this drugstore foundation?
It comes in a simple, travel-and-drawer-friendly tube, which is quite innovative as it contains detailed information about the type of foundation and skin it targets.  
So according to the manufacturer this is a 24h wear-time foundation with demi-matte finish, medium coverage and air-light texture. What is incredible is that it actually does live up to these bold claims.

I haven't been in a situation when I had to wear this for 24h, but it does equal the infamous masters of long-wear like Estee Lauder Double Wear. I wore it between 7 and 11 and with minor touch-ups it still looked great towards the end of the day, which is quite rare as everything melts down my oily skin within hours.

I wouldn't say this foundation is the most weightless in history, but it definitely feels light on my skin. The consistency is quite thick, but it goes on creamy and blends in perfectly without accentuating any dry patches which I've been recently having along my nose or settling in my pores. The preferred method of application is by rolling the foundation along the face with fingers, but I prefer my brush do do the job.

The foundation sets instantly to a matte finish which makes it possible to contour my face without powdering it beforehand, which is great as I don't need to overload my face with products. I would describe the finish as more matte than demi-matte, but I think what the manufacturer had in mind when calling it demi-matte is that it's not powdery flat.  

The coverage is good enough to hide imperfections and even out the skin tone without the effect of the mask.

What I like best about this foundation is that it doesn't stimulate any sebum production like many other matte foundations do and it stays oil-free for a substantially longer period of time. 

The shade I picked is 102 Shell Beige, which looks fairly neutral when swatched, but then blended it reveals strong rosy undertones, which blend well with my NW20-ish skin, but may look really bad on yellower complexions. This shade is a perfect match now, when my skin is at its palest after the winter months, but I'll definitely need something darker in the summer. 


To make my 'infallible' look complete I paired my foundation with the Infallible Pro-Matte Powder in 100 Porcelain.


The powder comes in the same kind of compact as its True Match counterpart. The two-tier packaging holds the powder in the upper compartment and a mirror and a very convenient latex spnge in the bottom one. I believe the sponge makes all the difference as it's an excellent tool to blot, while the papery puff included in the True Match powder was good for nothing.  


L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Powder is super finely milled, but not powdery at all. The sponge picks up a small amount of product which results in moderate application of the product which never goes cakey. 
The finish is very definitely matte, sometimes even too matte for my age and liking.
While the foundation neither claimed nor did anything to reduce the appearance of pores, this powder magically blurs all imperfections and lines. They two make a perfect combo that complement each other.


The shade I picked  is 100 Porcelain, which is very fair, but it makes a nice, brightening match for the foundation. Good for now, definitely too white for the upcoming spring/summer season.


All in all this is a high class duo and only the packaging reveals its drugstore nature. 
Well done. L'Oreal!

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